The invention relates generally to a receptacle assembly including a heat sink having a gasket for sealing the assembly.
Receptacles for electronic devices are well known that receive electronic modules, such as transceiver modules which are insertable into the receptacle. Such electronic modules may transmit data at high speeds including rates up to 10.0 gigabits per second (Gbps). Such data transmission is accomplished by circuitry which generate high levels of electromagnetic energy at short wavelengths and produce electromagnetic interference (EMI). Such electronic modules also generate large amounts of heat in order to provide data transmission at these high rates. Thus, it is common to incorporate a heat sink with the receptacle in order to help reduce temperatures of heat generating components.
An example of such an electronic module is a small form factor pluggable (XFP) module which is pluggable into a receptacle or XFP cage. Such a module is well know and is described in a standardized publication entitled “Ten Gigabit Small Form Factor Pluggable Module” by the XFP promoters (“XFP specification”). The XFP specification requires a cage having a large opening in the top surface and a heat sink mounted over the opening. Upon insertion of the XFP module into the cage, its upper surface becomes exposed through the opening in the top of the cage and abuts against the heat sink in order to transfer the heat from the transceiver module to the heat sink.
While the XFP specification discloses the orientation of the heat sink over the opening in the top of the cage, it does not address some of the operational issues that arise due to such an arrangement. For example, the large opening in the top of the cage provides a large area where electromagnetic energy may escape and produce EMI that could affect adjacent components such as other electronic modules or circuitry. Therefore, there is desired a receptacle assembly which provides for a means of shielding the EMI that can escape the receptacle opening.